It’s  a  Long  Way 
Down  to  the 
Soup  Line 


By 

JOE  HILL 


> 


This  parody  was  written  in  Salt  Lake  County 
Jail  by  Joe  Hill,  author  of  “Mr.  Block,”  “Scissor 
Bill”  “The  White  Slave  and  other  I.  W.  W. 
compositions. 

Joe  Hill  has  incurred  the  displeasure  of  the 
capitalists  of  this  country  and  they  have  therefore 
framed  up  a  charge  of  murder  and  had  him 
sentenced  to  death. 

This  parody  was  presented  to  the  I.  W.  W. 
Locals  of  San  Francisco  and  surroundings  to  be 
used  in  the  interest  of  Industrial  Union  agitation, 
but  it  was  concluded  to  place  it  on  the  market  at 
5  c.  The  proceeds  to  go  to  the  Joe  Hill  Defense 
Fund. 

HELP  SET  HIM  FREE.  NcU 


It^s  a  Long,  Long  Way  Down 
To  the  Soupline 

By  J.  H:  Air  “Tipperary” 

Bill  Brown  came  a  thousand  miles  to  work  on  Frisco  Fair, 
All  the  papers  said  a  million  men  were  wanted  there; 

Bill  Brown  hung  around  and  asked  for  work  three  times  a 
day. 

’Til  finally  he  went  busted  flat,  then  he  did  sadly  say, 

CHORUS 

It’s  a  long  way  down  to  the  soupline 
It’s  a  long  way  to  go. 

It’s  a  long  way  down  to  the  soupline 
And  the  soup  is  weak  I  know. 

Good-bye,  good  old  pork  chops 
Fare-Well  beefsteak  rare. 

It’s  a  long,  long  way  down  to  the  soupline 
But  my  soup  is  there. 

II 

Bill  Brown  saw  a  big  fine  house,  he  knocked  upon  the  door. 
But  they  told  him  that  they  only  helped  the  “worthy  poor.’’ 

“Guess  I’ll  have  to  live  on  sunshine  in  the  Golden  West.’’ 
Said  Billy  Brown,  and  then  he  joined  the  chorus  with 

the  rest. 

CHORUS 

III 

There’s  a  whisper  round  the  town  among  “the  men  of  means’’ 
That  they  would  be  glad  to  give  the  Fair  to  New  Orleans. 

And  when  all  is  over  many  sharks  with  faces  long 

Will  line  up  at  the  Ferry  and  then  sadly  hum  this  song, 

CHORUS 


I.  W.  W.  Locals  and  Branches 


SAN  FRANCISCO; 

Recrultmg  Local, “Mo.  1  73  — 3iA^i5  1  7th  Street. 
1505  Grant  Avenue, 
dish  Branch,  1530  Ellis  Street. 


INDUSTRIAL  TOCALS: 

Transport  Workers  No.  9 — 9  Mission  Street. 
Construction  Workers’  No.  147 — 9  Mission  St, 


Free  Lecture  and  Discussion  every  Sunday 
,8  P.  M.,  3345 — 1  7th  Street. 


Oakland  No.  1  74 — 338  5th  Street. 


o- 


t 


Stockwitz  Press,  1212  Turk  St. 


